The Secret of Self-Investment by
Lorraine Cohen
"Success is about who you become.
The big challenge is to become all that you have the possibility of becoming.
You cannot believe what it does to the human spirit to maximize your human
potential and stretch yourself to the limit." -Jim Rohn
As a solo-entrepreneur you're either starting a new business or intending to
grow your existing business. Aside from getting the most obvious systems in
place - technology, business and marketing plans, defining your product or
services, and finances, what else is needed to be successful?
Self-Investment!
Companies have been bringing in corporate trainers for years. It's good business
to invest in programs that teach employees how to be better leaders, manage
conflict, improve communication, increase sales effectiveness, become more
confident, etc. Using a myriad of tools including personality and behavioral
assessments, skill building techniques, and self-reflective exercises, many
training programs empower people to develop both professionally and personally.
Smart, right? Of course, the integration and sustainability of the information
is dependent upon how much a person values self-development!
Having cutting edge technology, innovation, great products and services is not
enough to guarantee sustained success. Why? Because people drive the success of
a business. The greatest asset a company has is its workforce. To grow a
business, you must also be growing your people!
What does that have to do with being a solo-entrepreneur? I'm so glad you asked!
If I had a $1.00 every time I heard someone say, "Just show me (or tell me) what
I need to do to accelerate my business, build wealth, manage my time...." Many
people believe that focusing solely on strategies to achieve external goals is
the best way to achieve success.
The truth is that, for your business to flourish, you must be flourishing as a
person. Looking to grow your business without investing in yourself is a plan to
limit your business success. Your outside world (your life) is a reflection of
your inside world (who you are). Who you are affects what you do (or don't do!)
If your business and personal life is NOT flourishing, where are you looking for
your solutions? Self-investment is a vital key in having a successful business
AND a fulfilling life!
For a solo-entrepreneur, investing time, energy, and resources to grow yourself
is a critical key in the level of success you achieve.
Here's a great example:
One of my coaching clients (I'll call Carol), is a single entrepreneur who owns
a graphic design company. Relocating two years ago, she has been working long
hours to jumpstart her business and build a name for herself in the area.
Because of her hard work and marketing savvy, Carol has built a strong following
very quickly. (Normally, business takes 3-5 years to build). In fact, her
business is growing so fast, she is unable to keep up! You might be thinking,
who wouldn't want that? She should be celebrating, right?
She's not! In fact she began feeling depressed. Working such a hectic schedule
was beginning to take negative tolls on her. BIG FLAGS!!!!!
Here's the rest of the story......
* Carol works 16 hour days and works on weekends because she fears losing
business. Her private life is almost non-existent. * A perfectionist, Carol put
enormous pressure on herself in servicing her clients. She constantly feels
stress and worries about keeping her clients happy. (They are usually thrilled
with her results!) Even though she is highly talented, she's tough on herself,
and lives with fear and self-doubt. * As a one woman- show, she manages every
aspect of her business. And, having grown so quickly, she has no systems in
place to help run her business efficiently. As a result, she feels overwhelmed
and stressed with all the people and responsibilities she has to manage. Who
wouldn't? * Her relationships with her husband and friends are suffering. She is
so busy working, she has no time for the people and things she loves the most.
Or, even time for herself! * Despite all of her business success, she is
concerned she is losing her enjoyment for her work. She has difficulty sleeping
at night, unable to turn off her brain. She often feels exhausted. She feels
more like a human doing than a human being.
If her outer world was in chaos, imagine how she felt on the inside!
Carol is a smart woman. She realized she was working harder, not smarter. What
did she do? She understood she needed help to continue to grow her business and
thrive as a person. She also realized that in order to change the way she was
running her business (or more accurately, how her business was running her), she
needed to look at herself.
So, she hired a personal and business coach (me!)
Some of the things we worked on together included:
1. Adding systems to work more efficiently 2. Developing strong marketing and
business plans 3. Delegating administrative responsibilities to free up her
time. 4. Identifying her values, vision and purpose 5. Time management 6.
Extreme self-care 7. Designing strategies to help her stay focused and motivated
Motivated by the chaos and anxiety in her life, Carol has made huge progress in
six short months. Choosing to make the investment in her business and herself,
Carol is beginning to enjoy her work again and have a life!
Bottom line:
Learning more about who you are on the inside (your beliefs, core values,
natural strengths, passions, innate talents) is the KEY INGREDIENT to making
decisions that produce deep satisfaction and extraordinary results. By bringing
who you are into the equation, you can view a full spectrum of choices and
solutions to reach more satisfying and richer outcomes- like bringing
Technicolor to a black and white picture!
Recommended Reading: Secrets Of The Millionaire Mind - T. Harv Eker Change Your
Thinking, Change Your Life - Brian Tracy Now, Discover Your Strengths - Marcus
Buckingham, Donald O. Clifton The Four Agreements - Don Miguel Ruiz Think And
Grow Rich - Napoleon Hill What Happy Know: How The New Science of Happiness Can
Change Your Life For The Better - Dan Baker, Cameron Stauth Never Eat Alone :
And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time - Keith Ferrazzi The
Soul of Success - Bz Riger-Hull http://www.in-spiros.com/bookstore.shtml
Copyright © Lorraine Cohen 2005 for Solo-e.com All Rights Reserved.
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About the Author:
Lorraine Cohen, Business
Consultant and Life Strategist brings more than 25 years experience in personal
coaching, business development, psychological counseling, and sales to over 2000
business owners, entrepreneurs, and executives from a wide range of industries.
Focusing on the whole person, Lorraine coaches people from the inside out; to
implement innovative strategies that integrate their heart, integrity, and
spirituality. An expert in brea
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